I left you all with an important question last week..."Where in the world is Carmen Elder Kniff?"
I'm somewhere that I've only been to for a few hours, but I'll give you all a hint...I was here on my very first night in Panama. Any guesses? Well, I'm in an area called Tocumen, which is where the airport is here in Panama. It's like 40 minutes or so away from Panama City, so still really close by.
I was hoping to end the mission in the city so that's good. It's an interesting area that's for sure. I've been so used to being in the interior, Penonome, then a small break in Chorrera, then 4 months in David. The people in the interior of the country are way more friendly. People in the city; generalizing all of them, are just ruder people. Which I think could be said about anywhere in the world. Could you imagine serving in downtown San Diego? No thanks, lots of homeless people, drunks, violence, etc. Out in David, we could pretty much get into anyone's house, even if they didn't ever get baptized, they were always willing to at least hear you out one time before rejecting you.
I'm in an area called, 24 de Diciembre, for all of you out there that want to look up and stalk me exactly where I am (Mom :). My new comp is Elder Meyer, another gringo, from the country of Texas haha, love my prideful Texans :) He's ending his mission this change on Sept. 12, and then I follow right after. He's a cool guy, speaks with a ghetto, super Panamanian accent, cutting out s's in words, not ending them all the time. It's because like 16 months of his mission he's served in the ghetto and the city here, so that's the accent he's heard the entire mission.
I definitely miss Elder Wright though and David, that was my favorite area for sure. Cool thing about changes though, a sister that was in the same zone as me out in David followed me to Tocumen and we're in the same zone again, and even the same ward here. It's that gringa girl from back home in Escondido, Hermana Hunt, or Emma Hunt if you know her. She's super chill.
Weird thing about this area: I feel as though it is impossible to not be trunky at this point of the mission. Why? I have 2 months left, and I'm in the area that is right next to the airport! All day long I hear WOOOOOSSSSSHHHHH!!!!! Airplanes going over my head every 2 minutes or so, interrupting lessons and church and everything, haha. It's as if I'm actually living in the airport like Tom Hanks in that movie "The Terminal".
All is good though, I like it here, the ward is huge, biggest one of all my areas. We had 191 people in church yesterday, that's ridiculous for Panama. I'm excited to work with these members and get to know them well. Cool experience from this past week, we were teaching this couple, the guy's a member from a long time back but his wife (not married) isn't. We taught her and the guy bore a long testimony and talked about how many blessings he's seeing in his life right now from coming back to church and paying his tithing. He told us that his salary has tripled in this short time, which is awesome. That lady sells ice cream from her house and she had us try their secret recipe "Mexican ice cream" (they're both Panamanians, haha). I put the spoon in, take a bite and thought, "hmm...this tastes...different, but good". It was orange ice cream on top of green jello. The difference; the ice cream was really spicy. Spicy, that's right, ice cream. I asked what they did to it, said that they let it melt a bit then mix in a certain portion of red chili pepper powder I think. Anyway, really weird, but good, I'd eat it again, haha.
I got "attacked" by a dog this week too. Strange, walking in the dark and I feel this big force come at me and hit me, but didn't bite or bark or anything, he just gave me a hug and then ran off. HAHA. Big dog hugs are great, as long as they don't use their teeth!
My video journals are going strong still, keeping everything up to date, even though I'll write in my regular journal from time to time too to add other details. I'm excited for these last 2 changes, it's going to be fun and interesting and really rewarding. Max, now being home, told me that the last 2 are the best.
I have great scriptures for you this week, Mormon 8:1-5, beginning of that chapter. It's super sad what Mormon and Moroni had to go through and see, and they exlain it how it is, but leave out lots of details because of how horrific it must have been. I can't imagine having seen the slaughter of an entire nation of Nephites. The other scripture is about loving God, 1 John 2:3-5, the John's in the back of the New Testament. Working on my direct bible still, going strong, I love that thing, answers so many questions with the scriptures. I love you all, enjoy my 22 month mark in the mission today! :)
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